


A Love Sacred and Profane

by allie_wishes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Art History, F/M, Historically accurate but with artistic liberties taken, Italian Baroque art, M/M, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Some angst, Tags May Change, baroque art, but I promise some will be happy tears, but not really, but slowish, characters may be added too, italian art, lots of hints of mental illness, maybe actual mention of mental illnesses, some time jumps, there will be tears, yes there will be a definition for the art terms I use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 14:21:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17427563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allie_wishes/pseuds/allie_wishes
Summary: I am not the best writer but this is a personal head fanfic I've been sitting on for about 6 months and I hope I can convey the amazingness of it with my poor writing skills. I will update as often as I can but in all honesty, it may be ever 2-3 weeks, mostly because I want to be publishing good, quality chapters. Warning, formatting may be weird and off.With "some" (I actually mean a lot of) liberties taken, this is a love story between, in my opinion, two of the greatest Italian Baroque artists; Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (commonly called Caravaggio) and Artemisia Gentileschi. Now, in actuality there was no relationship between them. In fact he was almost 20 years older and she was 17 when he died. But this is a nice "What If?" story so take it for what it is; an angry, angsty, and sometimes violent, yet innovative and talented male artist and an equally talented, amazingly strong and smart female painter.The first chapter will go more in depth and will be more of a forward than a prologue or chapter just because there is too much info to provide than can fit in this box.





	1. Forward

A Love Sacred and Profane;

I am studying Art History and I love it. One of the many reasons is that it allows me to come up with personal fan fiction/conspiracy theories to fill in the blanks that we don't know. This is one of those fanfics. In fact, it's one of my favorites.

Last semester, I studied Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (commonly called Caravaggio) in an art seminar class and am currently studying Baroque artists (lots of which were inspired by Caravaggio). He had a very similar (at least, I feel) temperament to our boi Kylo, i.e. violent outbursts and angst.

For the past six months, I've been brewing this semi-historically accurate story in my head of a love between Caravaggio (Kylo) and Artemisia Gentileschi (Rey) who was a follower of Caravaggio's innovative and new painting style (and is an amazingly talented painter as well). She was the daughter of Orazio Gentileschi (Obi Wan Kenobi), one of Caravaggio's close and only friends, who helped carry this new lowlife [meaning it used regular and often dirty people as models] style forward and continue the Baroque style. Caravaggio had such a use of chiaroscuro [use of light and dark or shadows in painting], tenebrism [from the italian word Tenebroso meaning dark, gloomy, mysterious. It's mostly the dramatic illumination in the paintings], and unique and different way of painting the same (most often sacred) subject matter in new and different (and sometimes called obscene or profane) ways that make him such a revolutionary painter. Ya, I might be a tad bit obsessed. 

Now, in truth there was much more interaction between Artemisia's father Orazio and Caravaggio. Caravaggio was 19 years her senior and he died when she was 17. There wasn't really a relationship between other than Artemisia being inspired. 

I will be tweaking some things, such as changing names, moving people to different locations (as opposed to where they actually were) and fudging the dates a little (or a lot). Mostly, I'm adjusting Artemisia's year of birth and the dates of her paintings (but will have the correct info in the notes) (well mostly shifting her whole life earlier in the timeline of real life) and combining some people into one person. 

Another artistic (ha ha, get it?) liberty I will be taking will be interactions: inner monologue, conversations, and character/people's motivations. There is some symbolism and reasoning that, unfortunately, we just don't know the reasons, so of course I will happily submit my own conspiracies, theories, and meanings. 

Again, the facts will be in the notes. Either at the beginning or the end, I will also give you the actual artists names since I won't be using them (i.e. Caravaggio will be referred to as Kylo Ren or Ren in the story). 

I will try to stay as true to historic record (as well as the story of Star Wars) as much as possible. However, if I make a mistake (that's not one that I've changed for the sake story) please let me know. If you have read my other story (and a half), you’ll see I’m bad at quick updates and with this I want to write a thorough, historically accurate, kick ass story so I promise to be as quick as is realistically possible for me. In all honesty, I’m expecting each chapter to come out every two weeks or so. 

I will be pulling from my own studies of him and Andrew Graham-Dixon's book "Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane." (See where I got the title? I'm clever or possibly unoriginal. You decide). It's a great in depth book. If you have any questions or requests of what to read to learn more, I'd love to help. As I said, this is based off of my personal understanding/interpretation/vision/etc of Caravaggio. There are people who subscribe to different opinions about him and that's fine. Just remember that this is Historical Fiction.


	2. Still Lifes and Stale Paintings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that? A chapter a day later. I couldn't not write today.
> 
> There are a few time jumps in this chapter. I wanted to lay down some key points of Caravaggio's early life so we can understand him later on. Bare with me as I get the formatting to work (I'm severely tech challenged.)
> 
> Explanations, painting titles, and real names will be in the notes after the chapter.

 

Benjamin Han Organa Solo was born on a beautiful and breezy day late in September in the town of Caravaggio in northern Italy in 1571. He tried not to dwell on it too much. His father had moved them to Caravaggio to avoid the black death that had crept back every so often.  _ Ironic, _ he thought on the back of the dilapidated, old wagon he had hitched a ride in to go to Milan,  _ the move didn’t stop the plague, Death, from taking what he was due.  _

 

The year was 1584 and Solo was on the way to an apprenticeship with the Dopheld Mitaka, former pupil to the great Titian. His mother always had high hopes for him. Her family had connections with the powerful Organa family and she wished that connection would opportunities for status, eminence, and distinction for Ben. She was always supportive of his pursuit of painting.  _ At least I got to tell her the news of Matika before she passed. _

 

He would be in Milan before the day was out. The orphan Ben Solo would make something of himself, he vowed.  _ Everyone will know my name.  _ And with the thought of fame, fortune, and prestige, he allowed the gentle rock of the old, rickety wagon to lull him to sleep, passing the last hours before what he was sure would be the start of the apprenticeship that would launch him into the stars.

 

About Five Years Later

 

Kylo Ren, as he now called himself, walked the streets of Rome, full of anger and hunger, in the early morning. His apprenticeship hadn’t been the grandeur experience he had expected. After staying in Milan a few more months to self teach while studying the works of the great masters of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, he worked for a ruthless man,  Pandolfo Pucci, or as Kylo liked to call him, "Monsignor Insalata". He had promised room and board, as well as food to the starving artist when he had first arrived in Rome, all in exchange for some minor painting of little trinkets to sell to visitors. Monsignor Insalata was a slave driver whose “room” was a falling apart closet with holes to the cold night air and a single plate of overripe salad once a day.

 

He had hoped that Wilhuff Tarkin, the favorite painter of Pope Clement VIII, would be more helpful. The knowledge of still life painting, a lowly genre scene, was all that he gained. Not that he would ever say that his detailed skill was due to Tarkin, that was all his own learning.

 

Kylo found that his usual spot to set up his paintings to sell was clear of the so called artists that he had to compete with for enough coin to buy food for the day. He set up his paintings, including a young man peeling a bitter and sour fruit, a scene of a gypsy woman fortune telling, a still life, and a self portrait of himself as the god Bacchus while he was sick in Tarkin’s care.

 

A few hours had gone by when there was a group of well dressed men walking through the street. Kylo could tell by the fine clothing that this group was clergy. He quickly straightened himself and blew the dust off of his paintings so he could hopefully make a sale. The richly dressed man in the center stopped and looked over the selection. 

 

“What is your name, young man?” the older man asked, revealing more of his face as he came into view. The right side of his face was scarred and looked as if his face were caving. Kylo wondered if he had been in a fight long ago.

 

“Kylo Ren,” He responded.

 

“Well, Signore Ren, I am Cardinal Snoke and I am quite taken with this charming painting,” he introduced, pointing to Ren’s fortune teller painting. “I think you have great talent and feel like you would blossom well with the appropriate grooming and care. I would like to buy this painting and would like for you to come live with me and work. I have many young musicians who live there, so you would have friends.”

 

Kylo hesitated for a moment. His most recent experiences came to the forefront of his mind. The Cardinal seemed to sense his hesitation.

 

“Don’t worry, you won’t want for anything. You’ll have plenty of food and I will even pay you for the contracts and paintings you make for me and my friends.” Kylo couldn’t see a fault and quietly nodded his consent. “Good,” Snoke smiled an almost wicked smile.

 

A Few Years Later

 

Kylo grew tired of life with Cardinal Snoke. He had been treated well, however, it was made abundantly clear that the Cardinal and his friends expected more from the young men living in the house than just the art and music they produced. Kylo being in his early 20s was too old to accompany most of the men to their bedrooms in the evenings. That wasn’t the case for Cardinal Snoke.

 

As Cardinal, Snoke was able to live the life of a prince. Many men craved to be cardinals. There wasn’t nearly as many responsibilities, especially religious, as being the Pope would have, yet they had access to a seemingly unlimited amount of funds and power. Kylo learned very early on ways of avoiding of being Snoke’s evening companion. 

 

The most efficient way was to fulfill the cardinal’s painting requests with young men, younger than Ren, in almost erotic poses and facial gestures. He learned from his time on the streets in Rome, that even the most pious seeming of men like the company of young boys. His paintings that expressed these gestures tended to be his most popular.

 

Kylo was working on one of his newer creations, a painting of Mary Magdalene _ ,  _ when the Cardinal entered is small studio in his room. 

 

“You are very talented. I wonder, though, why did you choose to paint her this way, in this pose of meditation?” Snoke questioned.

 

“Mary Magdalene is always painted in her sin. I liked Parmigianino’s St. Thais. She had a similar story to Mary. She was a former prostitute who found the church and changed her ways. I like the idea of repentance and penance. I just feel like a person is more than their mistakes and their past. I feel like we should just let the past die, maybe kill it even, if you have to,” Ren uttered, afraid of giving too much of his opinion. Snoke only smiled.

 

“Do…,” Ren hesitated. “Do you like it?”

 

“I think it's a wonderful, novel idea. I’m glad to see you are working in religious art. I have news for you. You’ve grown and matured,” Ren could hear disgust of sorts in his voice when mentioning his aging. “You have shown that your painting skills have developed as well. I have a friend who is needing three paintings of St. Matthew in his alter in his family church. Contraelli has heard of your skill and seen some of the beautiful works you’ve painted for me and would love to give you the commision. I expect you to leave by the end of the week to stay in an apartment that I have pre-arranged for you. Congratulations on your first altarpiece.”

 

The Cardinal left, leaving Ren in the silence of his room. Although he would presumably still have interactions with Snoke, he had more freedom. More freedom and a chance to prove himself to the world to be the master artist he knew he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to name his paintings in the story because some of them are names we've given them after he died.
> 
> So obviously, Caravaggio is Ben/Kylo. Caravaggio didn't change his name. In fact, he was quite proud of his name, considering his namesake is one of the most famous painters ever (Michelangelo). It was common to refer to an artist by where they were from; Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo from Vinci); Parmigianino (Little Man from Parma); etc.. Also, Caravaggio's homosexuality or bisexuality has been argued. My opinion is he painted what would sale and what people wanted. He did have a relationship of sorts with a female prostitute so... you decide.
> 
> Snoke is Cardinal Francisco Maria del Monte. Del Monte did have young men who were artists and musicians living with him, including Caravaggio. Now it has been argued for ever that del Monte and his friends had relationships with these young boys. Graham-Dixon (a well known art historian who wrote a book on out painter, from which I stole and tweaked the title of this story) argues that this was not the case. However there is no proof to either deny or prove del Monte's alleged homosexuality. The paintings he did commision Caravaggio are very suggestive and erotic (The Musicians and The Lute Player are two perfect examples). He also wasn't as evil as I've depicted in the story. I mean he did live like a king, but sources say he had his eye on the papacy, but died before he could become pope. He did help our boy get his first altarpiece. He would continue to buy some of Caravaggio's paintings.
> 
> Mitaka is Simone Peterzano. He later would claim (like his namesake) that he learned nothing from either Peterzano or Cesari and that he was self taught. We don't know how much he learned.
> 
> Sforzas were replaced by the Organas. 
> 
> Mister Salad (or My Lord Salad, but obvs sarcastic) or "Monsignor Insalata" was a real person and I found the snarky nickname too good to pass up.
> 
> Paintings:  
> -"Young man peeling a bitter and sour fruit": Young boy peeling a fruit (sometimes called peeling a pear)  
> -"A scene of a gypsy woman fortune telling": The Fortune Teller (there are a couple of versions of this)  
> -"A still life": Still Life (seriously go and look at the photorealism of this painting. It's crazy)  
> -"A self portrait of himself as the god Bacchus": Sick Bacchus (He has another Bacchus painting, which was made for del Monte just called Bacchus and is a possible self portrait, in which the young Bacchus looks tipsy. He offers a the viewer a sip of wine and suggestively plays with the black tie around his waist. Again, form your own opinions about why he was painted that way or if it was a request. We really just don't know their orientations.)  
> -"A painting of Mary Magdalene": Penitent Magdalen (there is an article I read for a paper that suggests Caravaggio used the St. Thais etching as a model. Mary Magdalene was almost always painted naked and in the desert and Caravaggio's Mary is clothed, meditative, and remorseful. Totally a different depiction. Caravaggio was good and new and different.)
> 
> Remember, while I am trying to be historically accurate as possible, this is historical fiction. I have changed a few things.
> 
> Also, don't worry, we will get to meet Rey soon:)
> 
> Let me know if there are any mistakes or if I left anything out.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all are as excited as I am!! I hope to get the second (but first and real chapter... well it will actually be a prologue, but still...) soon. Like ideally, end of this week/beginning of next week, but I make no promises. I don't want to be a liar and make a promise I don't know if I can keep. I respect y'all too much


End file.
